Watchcase mounting



Nov. 28, 1939.

A. WEWETZER ET AL ,753

WATCHCASE MOUNTING Filed June 10, 1938 E mun; (i Z4 2 WW Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFiilii WATCHCASE MOUNTING Application June 10, 1938, Serial No. 212,928

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a watchcase mounting for small receptacles. In particular the present improvements have to do with a mounting by which the'watchcase may be shifted 5 from a closed to an open position whenever desired, as for winding, adjustment or better exposure of the watch, and with tension means by which the watch is normally held in either closed or open position.

The features of construction herein disclosed are applicable to cigarette cases, vanity cases, compacts, etc., and also to various receptacles which have closures with all of which a watch may be advantageously associated. In the description to follow, as well as in the accompanying drawing, reference is made to a compact, and particularly to the cover or lid therefor, but we would have it understood that this is by way of example only.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a perspective view of a compact with which is associated a watch, here shown in the raised or open position;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the compact, the down or closed position of the watch being indicated in full lines and the open position thereof being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through the compact lid taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the watch mounted therein;

Fig. 4, which is a view similar to Fig. 3, shows the watch moved to the open position;

Fig. 5 is a section taken in the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. looking in the direction of the .rrows, showing the resilient means by which the watch is yieldingly held in either of its adjusted positions;

Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the plate assembly which forms the mounting for the watch; and

Fig. "I is an enlarged fragmentary detail in section, showing the watch swung to an intermediate or dead center position.

The compact shown comprises a receptacle R to which is hinged as at l a lid L with appropriate marginal walls 8. The receptacle itself may be small so as to be received within a pocket or pocketbook. or for mounting upon a table or dresser. The lid shown is such as may close over the open face of the receptacle to form a closure therefor. It may, if desired, be equipped with a conventional catch by which to normally remain closed. Since we have selected the lid as an example of a base whereon the watch may be mounted, it will be so referred to hereinafter, i. e. as a base.

By preference, the base is bowed upwardly somewhat, either over its entire area or through a selected portion thereof. By the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, in which this upward bowing is confined to a central area, special advantage is obtained. As shown, there is formed across the base, intermediately of its opposite edges, a central rectangular panel It having depending walls l2 which define a guideway on the under side of the panel.

Within the central raised panel of the base is an opening l substantially of the size and shape of a watch case C which is to be accommodated therein. At one point this opening is enlarged by a recess Hi to receive the crown I! which is extended laterally from the case. The fit of the case within this opening is preferably rather close, with clearance just sufiicient for free swinging movement of the case into and out of the opening in the manner which will presently be explained.

Extended from one side of the case, adjacent the bezel, is a lip 26 adapted to engage the outer face of the raised panel of the base so as to furnish a stop against further movement of the case. By inserting a fingernail, or a thin implement, under this lip the case may be easily swung out. From the opposite side of the case, adjacent its back, is extended a tongue 2! which proceeds first laterally and then upwardly to provide a joint 22 whose axis is substantially in a medial plane of the case, i. e. between its bezel and its back. Extended through this joint is a pintle 23 which is secured within a pair of spaced joints 24, one adjacent each end of the joint 22, whereby to provide a hinged mounting for the case.

The spaced joints 24 may conveniently be formed from tongues which are struck from a mounting unit U here shown as a plate whose width is such as to fit slidingly within the guideway between the two panel sides l2. Centrally this plate is apertured as at 26 to receive the watchcase when it is swung into position within the opening l5 of the panel. While the two openings are normally in register, it is unnecessary that the aperture in the mounting plate U be made to conform closely to the contour of the watchcase, since the mounting plate is always hidden from View.

The mounting plate U is provided with certain marginal walls 21 one of which forms an abutment for receiving thrust from a bowed leaf spring S whose opposite ends are rested against a wall 28 upturned from an abutment plate 29 one edge of which may conveniently be rested against a marginal wall of the base to the under side of the hinge joint thereupon. By this assembly of parts the mounting plate U is urged to slide away from the hinge axis of the base toward the free edge thereof. This movement, however, is halted by the watchcase which, in its closed position, lies within the opening of the panel so as to engage at the point 30 with the side of the opening l5 which is adjacent the hinge axis 23.

When the case is in closed position (Fig. 3) the joint axis 22 lies in a plane which is about medially thereof. Whenever the contact point 30 bears with pressure against the case in this medial plane it lies in a dead center position relative thereto. To either side of this medial plane are off-center positions, indicated by a: and y. Whenever the contact point presses off-center against the case at a: in its closed position (Fig. 3) the case will tend to remain closed, whereas if this pressure be applied at the opposite off-center position 1 (Fig. 4), the case will tend to remain open. In swinging from one extreme position to the other, the case must first slide past the fixed contact point 30, and in doing so the mounting plate U slightly advances toward and then recedes from its hinged axis 1. Continued swinging movement of the case, however, will bring that portion of its surface which is located medially between its bezel and back to a dead center position in relation to the contact point of the base, so that beyond that point the case is assisted to the completion of its movement. This is due to the continuing tension exerted upon the mounting plate by the bowed spring. In the fully open position of the watch the contact point of the base L bears against the case adjacent the tongues 2|. Since this is an off-center point, the continued tension of the bowed spring, acting through the mounting plate U, will cause the watch to normally remain against further movement in this outwardly swung position. To return the watch to its initial position within the aperture of the panel, sufiicient pressure is applied to the case to overcome the tension of the spring S, whereupon the case will swing inwardly from the position of Fig. 4 to that which is shown in Fig. 3. In executing this movement, the contact point 30 of the base L is required to ride over the dead center point on the case which, as already noted, is substantially in the medial plane thereof. Having passed this point, the tension of the spring S, transmitted through the mounting plate U, will thereupon assist the watch through the balance of its movement. In its final closed position the contact point 38 bears against the case near the bezel thereof, thereby yieldingly holding the watch against any reverse movement.

Below the raised panel I0 in the base L is sufficient space for accommodation of the watch and all the parts which form the mounting therefor. Within the base may be fitted a panel such as a mirror M held in place with the aid of a frame 34 which may be conveniently snap-fitted to the marginal walls 8 of the lid base; with such an interior accessory in place, the presence of the parts which constitute the watch mounting is entirely concealed. The reverse face of such a panel forms a closure for the space within the panel, thereby confining the watch mounting parts in place.

By the construction herein described, We provide a very simple mounting for a watchcase which is adapted to be swung to a position outwardly of a base, whether it be a receptacle, a

lid therefor, or something else. The mounting incorporates in its own mechanism a tension means by which the watch is yieldingly held in either an in or out position. In View of the very limited space available, we have adopted in effeet a cam and spring device utilizing as one element the side of the watchcase itself and as the other element the fixed contact point of the base, the hinged connection for the case being disposed laterally thereof in a plane which is substantially medial thereof whereby the two off center points in the cam are adjacent the bezel and the back of the case with the dead center point intermediately thereof.

We claim:

1. In combination with an apertured base, a watchcase comprising a bezel and a back receivable within the base aperture, and means for supporting the watchcase on the base comprising a mounting unit slidably associated with the base, a spring urging the mounting unit in one direction, a hinged connection between the mounting unit and the watchcase in a plane substantially medially of the latter, and a contact point on the base engageable with the watchcase at varying oif and dead center places extending between its bezel and back, the dead center place being in a plane intermediately of the case bezel and back, and the off-center places being adjacent the bezel and back whereby the watchcase may be yieldingly held in either of two extreme swung positions wherein the contact point is in engagement with the case at an off-center place.

2. In combination with an apertured base, a watchcase fitted within the aperture and movable therefrom to a position exteriorly of the base, a mounting unit slidably supported by the base, a hinged connection between the watchcase and mounting unit, and spring means tending to urge the mounting unit in one direction whereby to produce engagement between one point on the base and a plurality of points on the case, said points on the case being at various distances from the hinged connection thereof.

3. In combination with an apertured base, a watchcase fitted within the aperture and adapted to move outwardly therefrom, a tongue extended laterally from the case adjacent its back, a joint carried by the tongue in a plane intermediately of the case bezel and back, a mounting unit movably associated with the base having joints aligned with the one on the tongue, a pintle ex tended through the several joints forming a hinged connection between the watchcase and mounting unit, and tension means urging the mounting unit in a direction which produces engagement between one side of the watchcase and a contact point on the base, the contour of the watchcase being such that the maximum engaging pressure is exerted only when the watchcase is swung to a position intermediately of its fully open and fully closed positions.

4. In combination with an apertured base, a guideway on the under side of the base extending from the aperture therein, a watchcase receivable within the base aperture adapted to swing outwardly therefrom, and a spring actuated mounting slidable within the guideway having a hinged connection with the watchcase adapted, in cooperation with the base, to yieldingly hold the watchcase in either of two swung positions relative thereto.

5. In combination with an apertured base, a watchcase having a bezel and a back fitted within the aperture and adapted to swing outwardly therefrom, a slidable hinged mounting for the watchcase, and tension means coacting with the hinged mounting acting to advance the mounting by a straight line movement against the base to produce engagement between the base and the case side at varying positions between the bezel and back, when the watchcase is swung upon its hinged mounting, adapted to sustain the case in either its fully open or fully closed position.

6. In combination with an apertured base, a watchcase having a bezel and a back fitted within the aperture and adapted to swing outwardly therefrom, a movable hinged mounting for the watchcase, and tension means co-acting with the hinged mounting acting to advance one side of the watchcase against a fixed contact point on the base, the contour of the watchcase side being such as to move the case, together with its hinged mounting, in a direction counter to the force exerted by the tension means, as the case is swung toward a dead center position where the contact point engages the case at a place intermediately of the bezel and back, and being such as to permit the case, together with its hinged mounting, to move in a direction which is responsive to the force exerted by the tension means, as the case is swung away from a center position, relative to the contact point, toward places remote therefrom close to the bezel or back, whereby engagement between the contact point and such remote places on the case side, produced when the case is in fully open and fully closed positions, will tend to hold the case in each such position. 

